DELL N3000 User Manual

Managing a Switch Stack

This chapter describes how to configure and manage a stack of switches.
The topics covered in this chapter include:

• Stacking Overview
• Default Stacking Values
• Managing and Monitoring the Stack (Web)
• Managing the Stack (CLI)
• Stacking and NSF Usage Scenarios

The Dell Networking N2000, N3000, and N4000 and series switches include a 

stacking feature that allows up to 12 switches to operate as a single unit. The 

N2000 and N3000 series switches have two fixed mini-SAS stacking 

connectors at the rear. N2000 series switches will stack with other N2000 

series switches and Dell Networking 3000 series switches stack with other 

3000 series switches. 
Dell Networking 4000 series switches stack with other Dell Networking 4000 

series switches over front panel ports configured for stacking. 
A stack of twelve 48-port N2000 or N3000 switches has an aggregate 

throughput capacity of 576 Gigabits. Dell Networking N2000/N3000 stacking 

links operate at 21 Gbps or 4.3% of total aggregate throughput capacity of a 

full stack; therefore, it is recommended that operators provision large stacking 

topologies such that it is unlikely that a significant portion of the stack 

capacity will transit stacking links. One technique for achieving this is to 

distribute uplinks evenly across the stack vs. connecting all uplinks to a single 

stack unit or to adjacent stacking units.
Dell Networking N4000 series switches support high performance stacking 

over front panel ports, allowing increased capacity to be added as needed, 

without affecting network performance and providing a single point of 

management. Up to twelve Dell Networking N4000 series switches can be